Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie
by Snakepaw
Summary: Seasons after the end of Tigerstar's reign of terror and the victory against the savage BloodClan, trouble is back in the forest. Ghosts from the past are showing up and the dead are coming back. But is it real? Or is everything an elaborate lie? Every cats wants to save their clans. However, some can't keep secrets...
1. Chapter One: Ghost of a tiger

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (__Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by **Erin Hunter**_

Starting date: 22 september 2014

-Notice-

**Warriors** Series novels with all the cats are the property of Erin Hunter and I don't own anything. Nor does the books and TV show **Pretty Little Liars**, but I'll use their concept of dirty secrets, conspiracy and blackmail for this story.

NOTE: To avoid spoilers, you must have read the **first** Warriors serie (from "Into the wild" to"Darkest hour") and the **second** serie The New Prophecy, and the standalone manga "The Rise of Scourge", AND the short manga volumes of "Tigerstar and Sasha".

This fanfiction takes place at the beginning of The New Prophecy. To tell the truth, I haven't finish reading the second serie, and I KNOW that the main cats are on a mission far from the forest, but for this fanfic, let's pretend they never left and there's no prophecy, okay?

I don't know a lot about Hawkfrost and some others, so I'm sorry if they appear a bit out of character.

Unlike Rise of the Kittypets, the chapters won't be out every week, maybe more like once a month. Plus, the chapters are longer!

Again, English is NOT my first language so even if I re-read all of this 3000 times, there will still be some mistakes. If you stumble upon horrible misspellings in the texts, please tell me right away so I can fix them. Thank you!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter One: **Ghost of a tiger**

**.**

"Graystripe, I've seen him. I swear, it was him."

Firestar paced nervously in a circle inside his dimly lit den, his frantic paws digging a track in the dust. He wasn't sure if he was victim of a trick of his mind, a prophecy revealed by StarClan, or, he feared, a nightmare come to life. Last night, he could not remember if he had been walking within a really vivid dream or if he had been truly prowling unconsciously the familiar forest. It was so confusing. And inconceivable. Unrealistic. How could it be possible? He must be mistaken. But… What he saw… He could not ignore it. He could not keep the information to himself, no matter how unthinkable.

"Are you SURE it wasn't Brambleclaw?"

The orange tom glared at the broad shouldered warrior like this was a statement crazier than his back-from-the-dead story. His gray friend gave him a look of apologies.

"Still, it was dark… You know, maybe you did not see well and…" began Graystripe but Firestar would not hear it.

"At first, I thought I was dreaming, that I was sleeping in my den… But I could feel the wind on my pelt, smell the crisp air of the cold night. The leaves felt crunchy under my steps. That couldn't have been a dream. And StarClan's visions are never so… clear. It had to be real, Graystripe!"

"Even so… You said that you did not remember how you got there in the first place"

"Cinderpelt said that it might have been StarClan who had led me there, then I woke up to witness what they had wanted to show me."

"Oh? So she believes you?" asked Graystripe, skeptical.

Firestar wasn't sure whether the medic believed his lunatic tale or not. She had understood the part where he woke up in the middle of the wild forest, not knowing why he was not in his den anymore, but it was unclear if she thought that Tigerstar was alive or not. As far as he was concerned, it was more likely that she acknowledged the image of Tigerstar as a mirage, an illusion sent as an omen from their warrior ancestors.

"Kind of." he mumbled finally.

The ThunderClan deputy stared past his leader thoughtfully, reflecting. It was clear that Graystripe was trying his best to believe his longtime companion, then he shook his fluffy head vigorously.

"Okay, okay… Let's all start over again. From the beginning. With as much detail as you can. So, you woke up on your way to Fourtrees, right? Then, you..."

Firestar did what he was asked and went over the events of last night for the second or third time today. After his evening patrol with Brackenfur and Sorreltail, he took a quick meal before going to bed early, exhausted from his day. He fell asleep into a dreamless slumber until, he couldn't figure out, he was padding on fallen leaves and branches and woke up a couple of foxlengths away from the Gathering place. It was cold and foggy, but he was definitely outside his warm den and not drowsing like he was supposed to. Silverpelt shone brightly up in the sky and the moon cast its shining beams toward the four greater oaks. Being a sign of their ancestors or not, Firestar could not ignore the moon bathed clearing and went to investigate. It was there, on the large rock where only the leaders stand, that he saw HIM. His old enemy who had died seasons ago. The traitor. The tyrant. The murderer. Tigerstar. He stood proudly on the rock, high and mighty with defiance and greed flashing in his amber eyes. He looked big and menacing. Not pale and silvery like the ghost of the deceased warriors. Tigerstar was flesh and blood, his dark tabby pelt glowing nearly gold in the shadows. He did not say a thing. Nor did Firestar, too stunned by the eerie appearance of his dead rival. Suddenly, clouds washed over the moon and hid the muscular tom in its darkness, letting only his luminescent pupils float in the black of the night. When the clouds had passed, Tigerstar was gone and Firestar had to go back to the ThunderClan camp on shaky legs, trembling from this ghostly encounter.

The deputy had listened carefully without interruption and when his leader had finished, nothing in his expression showed that he was understanding of the situation.

"Did you tell Sandstorm about this?" he inquired after a pause.

"No." admitted Firestar, troubled and worried, shaking the goosebumps out of his back fur nervously.

"Well… She's not going to like this."

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

You can follow me on: **prettylittlekittenswholie . tumblr . com**

Thank you for reading! :)


	2. Chapter Two: Denied truth

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

There was a grammatical mistake in the title and I've missed it! But now, _everything is awesome_!

Some of you might be aware of it, but for the others, I've changed the first chapter. Even though I'd read it a hundred time, it was still full of terrible mistakes (that are now magically gone! YAY!). I was far too much enthusiastic about posting this story that I could not wait for my perfectly English friend (since I'm french) to do the final proofreading. I see now that it was not a good thing to do. Sorry, I won't do it again. Promise! :)

Thank you all for the reviews, it's very appreciated.

I also invite you to check out my wikia page if you like: **warriorsfanfic . wikia / wiki / Pretty_Little_Kittens_Who_Lie****  
><strong>

Now, here's **chapter two**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Two: **Denied truth**

**.**

As Graystripe had predicted, Sandstorm didn't like it one bit. When he had gone over his nocturnal adventure again, with his lover, this time, the ThunderClan leader was hoping she would find a rational part in those incredible issues like Cinderpelt had, or say that he had mistaken another cat for the former ShadowClan leader, but he had never thought that she would question his sanity. She looked at him like she would look at an elder who was losing his mind, who would hear and see things that were not there. The tale he told made her angry and she denied it all, like nothing had happened and suggested that he do the same for his own sake. It would be easy to ignore what he saw. Still, what if he was really back? In that case, they would be in serious danger. Not only his clan, but all the clans. Tigerstar had been a threat to every living cat of the forest and beyond. He had to warn everyone. That was the reasonable thing to do. Moreover, he had to inform the other leaders.

"Firestar?"  
>The small voice came from outside his den and he meowed his permission to enter. A slim, pale brownish, tabby she-cat approached him.<p>

"Yes, Leafpaw?" he asked his daughter.

"Sandstorm said you're not feeling well." said the medic apprentice, shyly. Cinderpelt had assured her that her father was fine and just had a bad dream, but she wanted to see for herself.

"I'm okay." he reassured her. "Can you fetch Brambleclaw for me, please? There's something I need to discuss with him."

She meowed softly in agreement and disappeared by the mouth of his nest where he saw another cat, a dark brown tabby with amber eyes, entered not long after.

"You wanted to see me, Firestar?" asked Brambleclaw.

"Sit down." he invited him, gesturing to the space in front of his bedding with his nose, "You might not believe me, however, I swear over all of our ancestors, I saw Tigerstar. Alive."

The young warrior, so physically alike his cruel father, blinked without uttering a word. Surely, this was a joke. Firestar was testing him somehow, even though it was not like him to do such harsh loyalty check.

Brambleclaw was saved from answering properly this impossible statement, when a black cat crashed into the ThunderClan leader's den at full speed. The dark furred tom stopped abruptly beside him, his pelt ruffled and his eyes opened like huge yellow balls. The newcomer was out of breath and before he could recover, it was Graystripe's turn to join the group.

"Ravenpaw!" cried the deputy, "What's wrong! You flew like your tail was on fire!"

"It's worse than that, Graystripe! Guys, you're not going to believe me! But, I swear, it's the truth!"

"What is it?! Tell us already!" Firestar yelled, losing his nerves, impatient to learn the dreaded news. Was it the same as him? Could it be…

Ravenpaw breathed loudly before spilling the impossible words: "Tigerstar is alive."

The whole group of cats fell silent. The loner had seen him too! It was all true.

"I knew it!" Firestar exclaimed at last, puffing his chest, victorious.

"You did?!" wondered the black cat, surprised.

"Yes. At Fourtrees, two nights ago. StarClan showed me the way." explained the leader.

Graystripe was uneasy on his paws, his nervous eyes switching restlessly between his two old apprenticehood friends.

"A rogue, who used to be part of BloodClan, came to our barn and told us that he caught sight of Tigerstar. Of course, we thought he was saying rubbish, but then I saw him myself! Near WindClan territory! He was… standing there, in the sunlight, distinct against the stony path. At first, I wasn't sure, you know. Maybe it's just some loner that happened to be similar, but Firestar, he looked at me, the way he always had… It was him."

Ravenpaw was shaking with emotion while the younger warrior was completely stunned by the story. His father? Back from the dead?

"I… I don't understand. What..." he began, but the ThunderClan leader furiously turned on him, showing his sharp teeth.

"I-WE saw your father. Tigerstar."

"I… don't know what to say, Firestar."

"Try telling me what you will do about it, Brambleclaw!" he growled, suddenly angry, like he was facing his newly returned enemy and not his innocent son.

What was he supposed to do? What exactly was his old mentor implying? That this was somehow his fault? That he had helped him in some way? That he would go to him? How could he think such a thing? After all that he taught him. Brambleclaw was deeply wounded, nonetheless, he could not manage a single word to defend himself. Sensing the young, dark brown tabby's uneasiness and perhaps regretting yelling at him, the flames in Firestar's green eyes faded and he dismissed him less aggressively. "You can leave now."

Brambleclaw did not waste another heartbeat. He bolted out of the leader's den, running with his head low, not wanting to meet any cat's stare. Suddenly, he found himself crashing into a ball of deep orange pelt and the two cats rolled over on the yellowish grass, their bodied tangled.

"WOAH! Where do you think you were going in such a rush? Are you blind or just stupid!" cried a high pitched voice belonging to a pestering she-cat who kicked him with her hind legs. She scrambled to her paws and furiously licked her chest fur. He had collided into Squirrelpaw, Firestar's difficult daughter. "Or you might just be mute?"

Brambleclaw looked up at her with an expression of such dismay that even someone as arrogant as the flame coated apprentice was taken aback, pity squeezing her stomach.

She flinched for a moment and when she spoke again, her tone was still hard, but more considerate, betraying her disguised kindness.

"What? Are… Are you going to mewl like a wimpy kit? Get a grip, Brambleclaw!"

The warrior tom did not answer right away, clearing his thoughts and recovering from his outburst, unfazed by her fake provocative words.

"Sorry… I didn't see you back there."

The hot-tempered she-cat gave him a suspicious glare. "So?! Are you going to tell me which cat bit your tail or what?"

Brambleclaw, calmer now, whispered to her in a hushed voice about his meeting with the clan leader, the deputy and the loner. When he finished, her sole response was a mere shrug, as if it was no big deal.

"Really?" He frowned.

"If my father says so, then it's good enough for me. Or are you saying he's a liar?" scowled Squirrelpaw.

That was not what he intended, though he wished that was the case.

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

You can follow me on: **prettylittlekittenswholie . tumblr . com**

Thank you for reading! :)


	3. Chapter Three: A black and white shadow

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

I re-read all of this a lot. Still, there're mistakes hidden in plain sight. And some, are very funny.

Sometimes, my brain thinks it's an iPhone and autocorrect directly while I'm typing... and the ridiculous results are: CIDERpelt or BrambleCLAM (Such blasphemy! Sorry, Bramble). Too often, there's the unfortunate GAYstripe and TigAstar, I seriously don't know why (Well, the "R" key on my laptop is malfunctioning).

And you can't possibly imagine how much time "star" turns out as "satr" or "srat". It's insane.

I've learned recently that _tawny_ means "fauve" in french. I'm smarter now! :D

Thanks for the reviews, guys! ^^ It's awesome.

Time for **chapter three**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Three: **A black and white shadow**

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The next day, it was time to tell the three other leaders. Firestar had charged Ravenpaw with the task of warning WindClan, and Graystripe of RiverClan, so it was up to him to travel to ShadowClan. He had asked Ashfur that morning, who was part of the dawn patrol to the ShadowClan border, to give a message to a passing rival patrol that he wanted to meet their leader at Fourtrees at sunhigh. Once the request successfully delivered, Ashfur reported to him and the ThunderClan leader went on his way to the Gathering place. The journey did not take him very long, and he arrived early to discover that his fellow leader was already waiting.

"This better be important." growled Blackstar, obviously not thrilled about this impromptu rendezvous, as Firestar appeared out of a thick bush, the sunlight illuminating his coat of flame. He settled himself on a warm rock next to the unhappy ShadowClan leader. Tired of repeating the same tale over and over, the ThunderClan leader went straight to the point: "I've seen Tigerstar."

The white tom with the black paws blinked at him.

"Are you completely mad?"

He flinched a little at the hard tone used by Blackstar, even though he had expected such reaction from the obnoxious cat.

"I… I know it sounds unbelievable…" Firestar began, but was cut short by the white cat's mumblings.

"That does not even begin to describe it."

Nonetheless, he continued more confidently, as if he hadn't heard the other: "But, I thought it was my duty to report it to you. It's your choice to trust me or not."

"You're insane." concluded the unpleasant ShadowClan leader.

"My loner friend Ravenpaw and his acquaintances could vouch otherwise."

Seeing that the ThunderClan leader was adamant about his crazy tale, the black and white cat sighed audibly and shook his head with strong disapproval. Nothing would convince him, thought Firestar.

"I had to warn you. And, now, I have. So, what you do now with this information is your business."

"We were there, Firestar! Or have you forgotten?" spat Blackstar, furious and disgusted by the lies perturbing the orange tom's mind.

No, he hadn't. Of course not. How could he? That scene will be forever engraved in his memory and in his heart. Tigerstar's death. He had a disgraceful death. A reckless death. Far from the noble fight between grand Clan leaders that he would have preferred. There were no words to describe the way that tiny savage black cat just sliced him open in front of every living cat of the forest. As easily as a RiverClan cat would claw the belly of a fish. He would never forget that day. And neither would any cat who was present.

"Good day, Blackstar."

And the ThunderClan leader left as he had come, leaving the fuming tom to ponder alone on his disbelief of his former leader's unimaginable resurrection.

-.-.-.-

"Tawnypelt, you're coming with us for the evening patrol." snapped the ShadowClan leader, passing in front of the warriors' den, where the she-cat was napping peacefully.

Instead of being grumpy for the brisk wake-up, she yawned and stretched, content to be chosen for the task. She was always pleased to be part of missions and patrols so she can prove herself to her adopted Clan. Even better if their leader himself was present to witness her efforts.

As the trio of ShadowClan cats walked along the mud covered path, the sun was disappearing and the moon rose in the darkening sky. Blackstar had wondered all afternoon if he should share Firestar's insanity with Tawnypelt. He might not trust the ginger tom, but it was not his place to deny the daughter of the defunct Tigerstar the right to know about the possibility of his return. Now, watching her prowl the shadows of their territory, her tortoiseshell coat turning gray by the night, he didn't feel like telling her anymore. She would probably think that he was as mouse-brained as the ThunderClan leader for even mentioning it.

"Something wrong?" she asked, puzzled at the strange way he was peering at her since they had left camp. "You…"

She was about to accuse him of unfairly suspecting her of charges she was innocent of, again, and that he was wrong to even consider it, when a sound broke the silence of the sleeping forest. The three cats stopped abruptly in their tracks and listened carefully. Blackstar went rigid, focusing on a spot far away in front of them. The fur on his back rose up and he unsheathed his claws from his black paws. The noises came from different directions: pawsteps. They could make out the soft padding of at least three animals, perhaps five. Cats? The ShadowClan leader gestured quietly with his nose to Tawnypelt to the right, to the other cat to the left, then, he took the front, advancing in a low crouch.

She nodded and followed the sound to her right, distancing herself from her Clanmates. A couple of foxlengths away, twigs were crushed and she drew her head up, scanning the dark trees. There, she saw the silhouette of a cat, too far from her to identify its scent, but definitely a cat. It had seen her too. No longer needing to be stealthy, she darted through the trees, ignoring her surroundings, dashing at full speed on the cold muddy soil.

Further away, the shadow walked slowly, turning around to make sure she was still on its track, until it entered a small clearing, disappearing into the black foliage. Tawnypelt jumped into the empty clearing, only to realize her careless mistake when it was too late.

Oh, no! Was it a trap? Could she have been more stupid!? The she-cat braced herself for an ambush of rogue cats, but instead, only one was present, the same she had chased. It was a male, huge. He remained shaded by low branches, hidden in the dark.

"Show yourself!" she demanded, bravely.

A deep meow resonated. He was laughing, mocking her.

The she-cat let out a furious yowl, threatening, ready to fight off the insolent intruder. The large tom laugh louder and swaggered his way out of hiding, revealing a dark brown tabby pelt, muscular shoulders and a chipped ear. His bright orange eyes, so familiar, flashed at her like burning ember.

"Tigerstar?"

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

Sorry for the cliffhanger!  
><strong>Chapter four<strong> might not be out so soon.

You can follow me on: **prettylittlekittenswholie . tumblr . com**

Thank you for reading! :)


	4. ChapterFour: Fallen leaves on the ground

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

I really liked writing this one (You'll know what part I'm talking about once you'll read it!). Even though I think it would have been more poetic in french. A clearer description, anyway. It's still turn out great.  
>Maybe I'll translate it one day.<p>

Here's **chapter four**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Four: **Fallen leaves on the ground**

**.**

The imposing tom halted for a moment and gazed at his daughter with satisfaction, savoring the horrified expression on her tawny face. Was she dreaming? Surely, it could not be her father. Not alive. Breathing and frightening. Yet, here he was, his dark tabby pelt made glossy by the moonlight, and his eye the color of the radiant glow of a fire. He looked deadly. She was too shocked for words and did not back away when he approached her, one long clawed paw in front of the other, stopping only a tail-length from her.

"It's... really you." Tawnypelt managed to say, as a fact, not a question.

The tom who stood before her was Tigerstar.

"Can you keep a secret, my daughter?"

-.-.-.-

Tigerstar had let Tawnypelt go without any harm, the fear of his ominous presence a far better warning than wounds from a fight. On the other hand, she was not going to keep quiet about his magical recovery. How did he accomplish such an exploit in the first place? That night, when she had returned to camp, she waited for Blackstar to be alone and told him of her encounter with her father. Her leader barely had any reaction, he acknowledged her story and that was all. Disappointed and upset, she turned to the only cat in the forest that she could trust: her brother.

"B… But! Was it truly HIM? What about his scent? Did you recognize it?" meowed her brother, once she had gone over last night's episode with him. He was not as surprised as she would have thought.

Tawnypelt sighed "Frankly, I don't remember what he smelled like, Brambleclaw."

They were standing near the border that separated both of their territories and Brambleclaw was nervous to be overheard. Not only was the ThunderClan leader right on Tigerstar's case, but he had approached Tawnypelt for StarClan knows why. How would he explain it to Firestar, who already suspected him of working with his father? She could be accused of treason more than him.

"Have you told Blackstar, yet?" he asked, worried.

Tawnypelt nodded. "Yes, but... His expression was unreadable. For all we know, he doesn't give a rat's dropping about it."

Brambleclaw wondered if the ShadowClan leader genuinely did not care whether the greatest enemy of the forest was alive or not. Didn't he fear Tigerstar would demand the leadership of his Clan back?

"Will you tell Firestar?" Tawnypelt inquired seriously, staring at him with green eyes.  
>Brambleclaw was torn for a moment and decided against it, afraid to make them appear more guilty than they actually were. He wasn't sure if he believed it himself, there could be many other explanations. "He'll learn it by Blackstar in good time."<p>

-.-.-.-

A dozen of faceless, indescribable cats were walking in circle like black silhouettes in a shady clearing that was glowing pink and orange with the setting sun. In the silent twilight, only a crunching padding could be heard, the sound of crumpled dried leaves. Unexpectedly, the fallen leaves on the ground woke up and grabbed the cats' paws like the talon of a papery bird of prey. The cats could neither move nor cry, paralyzed by the touch of dead leaves. Suddenly, the soil turned to mud, then to a rusty reddish goo. In the center of the group of cats, a pool of thick scarlet liquid had formed, bubbling like it was boiling. The cats, rigid as if made of rock, did not even blink when a greater feline entered the clearing. It was a majestic tiger, huge and powerful, its stripped pelt darker than most of his species. He padded silently despite of the large size of its paws and went directly in the middle, to where was the gurgling pool of blood. The tiger, then lowered its head as to drink the red liquid, but instead plunged it right in. A heartbeat later, its head resurfaced, covered in viscous blood, dripping, a bundle of wet fur clutched in its mighty jaw. The tiger turned around and dropped what it had fished on a more solid ground for all the spectators to watch. The torn ball of ragged pelt twitched and got up to its small paw. The blood washed over its slim body as if rain had started pouring and was washing its stained sticky fur. The redness left place to black, a sleek dark pelt. The thing that had been in the pool was a cat. A tiny black tom with one little white paw. The claws that protruded from its paws were grotesquely big and sharp, like the great tiger behind him. He slowly raised his head to the circle of cats and opened icy blue eyes in a stare colder than the cruel chill of leaf-bare.

Leafpaw woke up from her nap in panic, panting, her heart ready to burst out of her chest. What an awful nightmare! Or was it? To calm down, she trotted around the camp and rested under the shade of a tree. Even though she wasn't stressed anymore, she was still lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. Who were those cats? Was it a message from StarClan? Why a tiger? Who was that strange black tom? It was not long before her sister Squirrelpaw spotted her asking questions out loud without realizing it.

"Are you alright? You look… Well… a bit crazy, right now, mumbling to yourself. Cinderpelt does that too… It must be a medic thing."

Leafpaw nodded absent-mindedly.

Her sister poked her gently with one orange front paw. "Hey! Stop spacing out, I'm talking to you. Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Hum, yes... No. It's... I had a dream." told her Leafpaw, then add rapidly, "It's nothing important".

"What? Did you see something?" the young orange she-cat asked anyway.

Squirrelpaw meant the way medics and their apprentices received omens from their ancestor hunters in the starry sky. She did not like lying to her sister, but what other choice did she had. She would need more time to figure that dream out. A prophetic sign or not.

"Oh. Well, just leaf-fall, cats in a clearing, then more cats. Probably meant nothing special."

It was not entirely a lie, she had seen a lot of cats, but they were far from enjoying themselves.

And telling her about a tiger that brought out a monster born from a pool a blood was not an option.

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

I'm really looking forward posting chapter 5, there's new awesome stuff coming up! ^^

You can follow me on: **prettylittlekittenswholie . tumblr . com**

I'm on **Wattpad** too, you know! - wattpad **75132332-pretty-little-kittens-who-lie-warriors-cats**

Thank you for reading! :)


	5. Chapter Five: Ember after fire

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

The first OCs in this chapter. It was a necessity for what's coming next in the story. I hope you'll like them.

Let's see **chapter five**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Five **Ember after fire**

**.**

Some dawns had passed since he warned the other leaders and the rumors about Tigerstar's return were thinning, along with the ThunderClan leader's credibility, when a familiar black loner was back in his den. With his fur sticky with mud and dried leaves, he was panting, his yellow eyes wildly alert.

"What is it, Ravenpaw? Have you seen Tigerstar again?" inquired Firestar hopefully, greeting once more his old friend who had obviously ran all the way to the ThunderClan camp in a hurry. His deputy, followed by a fluffy white warrior, Firestar's nephew Cloudtail, entered just after the loner, curious to hear Ravenpaw's dreadful news.

"No. It's worse than that."

"Aw, come on. What can be worse than Tigerstar!" cried Graystripe out loud, rolling his eyes.

"Hum… Scourge." Ravenpaw told him.

The four cats stared dead quiet at each other, until Cloudtail could not keep down his indignation any longer. It was simply too much.

"You must be kidding me?! Firestar killed him. I was there!" scolded the long-haired white tom, outraged. "We beat the crap out of that long-clawed freak. There's no way he's alive. And Tigerstar even less!"

He was fuming with rage at the stupidity of his superiors. How could Firestar be so gullible?! They had all been there, on the battlefield. Scourge fell from Firestar's fangs while Tigerstar was… destroyed, beyond any possible glamourous repair from ancestors living in the stars. This was utter fox dung! They were old fools to believe otherwise.

"Cloudtail…" warned his leader, his patience reaching its limit with his rebel nephew's arrogance. Addressing them with such disrespect was unacceptable.

"What? It's true. You're just a bunch of scared kittypets. Whining like little kits that sees monsters that aren't there. You're all pathetic."

The ThunderClan snarled at him.

"Get out, Cloudtail." growled Firestar, though it was unnecessary since the white warrior was already leaving.

-.-.-.-

"Whitepaw, have you seen Cloudtail?" asked a white she-cat with ginger spots, calling her daughter. The side of her face that wasn't horribly scarred showed a worried expression. The apprentice joined her frantic mother, her mates Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw behind her.

"No. Why?"

"I… can't find your father. He was angry earlier. I'm afraid he went to do something reckless. Can you please ask around? Maybe he's just hunting."

"Okay, Brightheart. We're on it!" chimed Squirrelpaw, ready for action.

The warrior touched noses with the three young she-cats to thank them and trotted to the elders' den to question them.

-.-.-.-

The sun was setting over a backstreet alley filled with garbages, boxes and crates. There, rogue felines were enjoying the last bit of sunshine that the end of the day had to offer. Inside a large tumbled broken old fruit crate rested lazily a big cat with a slightly flat nose. The sunlight that passed through the wood planks drew bloody red stripes on his pelt.

Ember was the leader of a reformed BloodClan. Though, more structured and less violent, they were still a very nasty group of city cats. He had a long-haired auburn coat, the color of falling leaves, and pale yellow eyes. It was said that his dark red fur was the result of bathing in the blood of his enemy.

Of course, that wasn't true, but they did not need to know that. He had a reputation to maintain. Some nicknamed him the Red Death, which, again, was highly exaggerated. Ember was young, broad-shouldered, muscular and his thick pelt made him appear bigger, however, he was never even near as astounding as they liked to describe him. Well, nothing like Scourge, anyway.

"Ember? … Ember, are you in there?"

"Yeah." the auburn tom replied, yawning.

A wrinkled skinny creature stepped inside the BloodClan leader's makeshift den built out of an aged wooden crate that still smelled like rotten apples. The weirdly shaped cat approached him with a crooked walk and sat awkwardly next to his nest.

"What can I do for you today, Blankpelt?" inquired Ember with an amused tone. Blankpelt was an exotic feline that twolegs found very precious and valuable, but on the streets, he was regarded as ugly and grotesque, since his skin was smooth and furless like a newborn rat. He used to be a fancy kittypet named Mister Diamond and was later called Blankpelt by rogues. Ember had suggested better names like Moon Plague or Pale Terror, but the other tom would not change it. He was the most peculiar cat he had ever met and enjoyed his company the most. Inside the Clan, he played the role of advisor and semi-healer. What he lacked in physical strength, he made up for in brains.

"If you could describe Scourge, how would you do it?" rasped the unusual cat with his ageless voice. An odd question from an odd cat. Ember was used to his eccentric habits.

"Hum... I'd say deadly. Black, small, but swift, with the dog fang claws we don't use anymore. Why?" the leader asked, then joked "Is he coming back?"

"I think so."

Coming from any other cat, he would have laughed at the silly idea, however, his friend was cold and reserved, joking around was not part of something he did.

"Care to elaborate? Because, I'm not sure what you're telling me, right now."

"I happened to see a tiny cat like the one you just described. Adding blue eyes, a white tipped paw and the spiked collar signature of former BloodClan. More members claim to have witnessed the same."

What sort of nonsense was that? If his cats were to believe Scourge's return, there would be riots. The dark auburn tom jumped out of his dirty rags bedding and stomped the wood with an angry paw.

"Well, I think it's rubbish!" Ember yowled, irritated, nearly spitting in the other cat's face.

Blankpelt blinked mechanically, his expression neutral, unreadable.

"Don't you!?" he added, annoyed by the lack of response of the hairless cat.

"What I think is that it is too high of a likelihood to be a coincidence."

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

Next time is chapter 6. Next week on Thursday. (It's a good day to post!)

You can follow me on: **prettylittlekittenswholie . tumblr . com**

I'm on **Wattpad** too, you know! - wattpad **75132332-pretty-little-kittens-who-lie-warriors-cats**

Thank you for reading! :)


	6. Chapter Six: Scarlet clouds

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

I know I've missed my last Thursday post, sorry about that (I had to sew a Halloween costume). Still, I've been writing too!

A big thank you to K9Lover for pointing out the number 2 in one of the sentences from the second chapter, because the "2" was FAR from the only mistake in that chapter! It was awful! Full of typos, as if I'd posted an old version or something. Anyway, it has been re-uploaded now, along with ALL the chapters before the sixth.

I use a spell check program called Ginger now. It's not bad at all, and can be installed on your browser.

Once again, I'm trying to improve my English, so don't hesitate to point out mistakes, whether it's the grammar, the syntax, typos or that it just sounds wrong.

All your reviews make me happy! :D

Enough talking... Here's **chapter**** six**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Six: **Scarlet clouds**

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The next day did not bring any news of Cloudtail. Firestar believed that the aggressive white warrior had only gone away to reflect on his misbehavior and harsh attitude, and needed to be left alone. After all, it would not be the first time he went missing after a disagreement with authority. All the apprentices, aside from Leafpaw who was learning from the medicine cat, were practicing in the Training Hollow with Squirrelpaw's mentor Dustpelt. The dusty brown tabby was keeping a severe eye on his own troublesome apprentice, while letting the others worked on their hunting moves more freely. Whitepaw was helping another young cat to walk as soundlessly as possible when a curious scent drifted to her pink nose. Fresh-kill? Had one of them manage to hunt during practice? No. She had not seen anyone go that way.  
>"Wait, here. I want to check something." she told the apprentice.<br>"Hey! You can't leave like that. What will Dustpelt say!"  
>"I'll be right back. Promise."<br>The apprentice did not like it, but said nothing more. The older warrior was known to be quite a merciless mentor. He just hoped that Whitepaw would return before he noticed. The small she-cat nodded and turned to where the scent had come. She padded carefully, even though the stench of blood was enough proof that whatever it was, it was not alive anymore. A couple of foxlengths later, as she was stepping lightly on dried leaves, she realized there was a visible trail on the ground. Droplets of blood. Fresh. The midday sun was making them shine like little rubies. The trail was not long and stopped at the foot of a large tree. Whitepaw followed it to the tree and sniffed around curiously. Had the prey been dragged up that tree? She wondered, casting a glance up the high gold foliage. The sun was making it hard to see and it was nearly too late when she saw a white and red ball drop down on her. She dodged at the last moment and gazed wildly at the thing that fell and now lay between two large roots. As she approached, she could see fur, the color of snow, stained with blood. A baby white rabbit? Surely, those were only found in leaf-bare. However, as she moved closer, she understood that it was neither a rabbit, nor any animal at all. It was a scrap of pelt, fur on a detached patch of skin. Horror filled her tiny body and she yelped loudly, terrified. Fortunately, Whitepaw was not far and her piercing cry resonated across the forest and, a heartbeat later, Duspelt and the apprentices were around her. Unexpectedly, there was a ruffle high in the tree and something jumped into another branch and disappeared into the next trees.  
>Dustpelt ignored the fleeing silhouette and focused on the white she-cat.<br>"Was is it, Whitepaw? Are you hurt? What happened!?"  
>For all answers, Whitepaw pointed the bleeding bundle with one paw, hiding her blue eye with the other. Dustpelt inspected the bloody fur with unreadable calmness.<br>"What's that?" meowed Squirrelpaw with disdain.  
>Her mentor glance seriously at every young cat before answering the morbid truth in a low growl. "That's a patch of cat's pelt." and whoever did that will pay.<p>

-.-.-.-

The sun was rapidly falling from its high post, like it was slipping in hiding, instead of following its usual slow path. The bright blue sky did not pass by its familiar shades of orange and turned a dark red at once. The clouds were not turning gray as a growing storm, but were painted a deep red color as if they were blood-soaked and ready to bleed over the black forest. A single large oak tree stood in sight, below the scarlet clouds, and in the place of a rain shower, a solitary drop descended from above and spattered in the center of two massive roots, slashing the earth with a foul stain. As suddenly as the red had come, the blue was back and everything in the clearing was unchanged.

This ended the shocking vision that only Leafpaw could see. She blinked as her sight turned back to normal. She was now staring at a bloodless patch of soil, the red stain gone.  
>The young she-cat was aware that no real tree was standing in front of her, for she was sitting in the middle of the ThunderClan camp's clearing, and that it was too early for the sun to set yet. She had been witnessing an omen again. But what did it mean? The clouds... They were bleeding... And that tree, she saw it somewhere, she was certain of it.<br>She was still shaken by her gruesome dream when she heard her mentor calling her name from inside her den.  
>"Leafpaw! Give some herbs to poor Whitepaw, would you? She's very upset and need to rest." The apprentice obeyed immediately, glad to have something else to distract her mind with, and entered the medicine cat's den to find the young white she-cat even more disturbed than herself.<br>"What happened?" She asked, then saw Cinderpelt left them, saying she had been summoned by the leader.  
>Whitepaw waited for the dark gray she-cat to be out of earshot before meowing in a weak, edgy voice. "It was terrible, Leafpaw! Some monster threw a bloody piece of fur off a tree, with the skin on it and all. Dustpelt says it belongs to a cat! He's reporting to Firestar. Oh, Leafpaw, it was so scary… I..."<br>Did she just say blood? That fell from a tree? Her vision flashed again in her mind: the cloud that rained red. Did the omen already happen? To Whitepaw! What did she say it was? Fur...  
>"What color?" pressed Leafpaw, abruptly, referring to the pelt, jumping in front of the snow white apprentice with too much eagerness, her nose poking her friend's.<br>Whitepaw, uneasy by the medic apprentice's outburst, took a step back and answered anxiously: "White."  
>She saw Leafpaw's eye grew wider with shock mixed with worry and curiosity, and she became more pressing, advancing on her again.<br>"Whitepaw! Can you show me! Please, it's important."  
>"Hum? … Alright... But Dustpelt moved the patch away and buried it." agreed Whitepaw, uncertain. Nonetheless, Leafpaw was determined to go.<br>"It's okay. I just need to look at the place."

It wasn't long before they arrived at the scene. The large oak from her dream was there. It was definitely it, but something was wrong. Where there was the two crossing roots, where the fur was supposed to be gone, lay a furry white shape with a red spot.  
>"Didn't you say Dultpelt moved the thing?" she asked the younger she-cat. Or was her power playing trick and the space was in fact empty.<br>"He did." meowed Whitepaw, blinking, then her blue eyes closed to thin slits as she tried to have a better look at the base of the tree. She was taken aback as she too realized that there was something there. They crouched low to the ground and progressed with care.  
>"Then, what's that?" whispered Leafpaw. Whitepaw shook her head, having no clue. Then she pointed, surprised, at a shadow they had missed earlier. Behind the white shape was a dark brown tabby tom, bent over, sniffing the lifeless thing. "And over there… Is that Brambleclaw?"<br>Whether it was indeed Brambleclaw or not, they were now close enough to recognize the bundle of fur. It was not the skin patch Whitepaw had described, it was much bigger. An animal with a long-haired white coat, a fluffy tail and two pointy ears: a cat. A ThunderClan warrior.  
>"NOOOOOOOO! FATHER!" The white she-cat wailed in agony, with more sorrow and pain than Leafpaw had ever heard in a cat's yowl. It broke her heart. However, she could not move a paw, petrified. Whitepaw ran toward the corpse and crashed into her father's cold body, burying her little face in the thick fur, regardless of the dark brown tabby's presence.<br>There was no doubt about it. Between the roots of the tree, where the vision had revealed, rested the broad white tom in the red pool of his own blood.  
>Cloudtail was dead.<p>

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

Sorry ;_; It had to be done...

Like I said, I've only read the first and the beginning of the second series, so I DON'T KNOW if Cloudtail actually dies at some point... so please, no spoilers.

Chapter 7, next Thursday.

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Thank you for reading! :)


	7. Chapter Seven: Hunting stars

**Pretty Little Kittens Who Lie** _by (Cinderstar)_ _Snakepaw_

_Fanfiction → Warriors (cats) by __**Erin Hunter**_

-Author's Note-

I've got nothing to say today, except that I like this chapter's title: "Hunting stars". It's full of meanings. The title of the upcoming chapter 9 is also very pretty: "As the stars are drowning". But I'm not spoiling anything! You'll see when we get there. Before that, you've got to read the 8th. :P

I present now **chapter seven**!

- Enjoy-

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><p>.<p>

Chapter Seven: **Hunting stars**

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Hearing Whitepaw's deafening painful cries, the dark brown tabby tom raised his head, suddenly alarmed, and met Leafpaw's green eyes. Although his gaze had the same amber color, that cat was not Brambleclaw. And this fact was automatically confirmed when the real Brambleclaw showed up right in front of her, along with Dustpelt. They must have heard Whitepaw' screams and came to their rescue. They stood protectively over the young medic apprentice, thinking she was the one in need, not noticing the white she-cat who was perfectly undetectable in the pale fur. What they did notice, though, was the muscular tabby.

"Murderer! What did you do!?" growled Dustpelt at Cloudtail's killer.

Then both of them froze, realizing the identity of the mysterious tom.

Do they know him? wondered Leafpaw, silently, taking in every cat's expression.

They appeared deeply troubled by the encounter. But, they were not the only ones, for during a really brief moment, uncertainty and a nervous flash passed in the stranger's orange eyes, as though caught in action and did not know what to do. He recovered nearly instantly, his face showing satisfaction and superiority. He now looked mighty and more than dangerous; deadly, with a face Leafpaw would never forget.

"No. This cannot be…" Dustpelt refused to believe and it was Brambleclaw who dared say his name: "Tigerstar."

Leafpaw thought she had detected a faint uncertainty in Brambleclaw's single word, though it had sounded like an accusation, threatening, and he stepped forward with unsheathed claws as the intruder remained where he was, unafraid. The one called Tigerstar – a name that had evoked both fear and respect for the four Clans of the forest during the past generation and learned by all apprentices – began to laugh at the ThunderClan warriors, like he was mocking them for finding him when it was he who had been unsuccessful, his crime discovered.

"Indeed." he purred, "You… seemed too peaceful. A little bit of terror might wake you from your sluggishness. You're becoming soft kittypets without being challenged." declared Tigerstar on a very calm and posed tone, like he had rehearsed his speech before telling it. It sounded awkward to Leafpaw, but the famous Tigerstar did confess killing Cloudtail. And it seems like it was enough proof as the two ThunderClan brave warriors launched themselves at the murderer in a chorus of caterwauls.

Not wasting another heartbeat, the former ShadowClan leader bounced over the root and ran through the forest, avoiding confrontation. The younger brown tabby rushed at his pursuit, with Dustpelt at his side.

He dashed as fast as he could and caught up with Tigerstar. The bold tabby was bigger than him, a seasoned fighter, but he did not hesitate to pounce on him, spitting with fury, murder in his eyes. Tigerstar twisted around, avoiding his opponent latch onto his back.

They twirled together in the air, Brambleclaw aiming a powerful blow at his father, and missed, his claws brushing only fur, as Tigerstar kicked him in the stomach with strong hind legs. The young ThunderClan warrior had his breath cut short from his lungs and tumbled on hard ground, rolling in the leaves and colliding with his running ally.

"What are you doing! Get off me!" Dustpelt grabbed Brambleclaw by the scruff of his neck and helped him up, pushing him back on course.

"S… sorry." he apologized, speeding through the trees again, Tigerstar had gained a good distance by now, because of him.

The pair chased Tigerstar all the way to the river that separated their territory from RiverClan's. To their amazement, the great tom dived directly into the river and disappeared, taken away by the rushing water. Dustpelt was speechless. That was suicidal.

"What?! He's crazy! Did he just…"

"… Jump into the river? Yes." Brambleclaw finished, blinking in confusion.

-.-.-.-

"You let him escape!" spat Firestar when the pair of warriors had came back and explained everything, "How could you!"

The ThunderClan had lost his wits when they entered the camp with Cloudtail's lifeless body and two young, traumatized apprentices, and was now growling and snarling at Brambleclaw like he was somehow responsible for all this tragedy.

"Well, did you expect us to jump into the water too, and drown?" he mumbled under his breath, his ears flat against his head with shame. His tone had not been smart, he just wanted his leader to realize how impossible it had been for them to hunt down Tigerstar. Was he blaming him again? Surely, Firestar was not yelling at Dustpelt.

However, Brambleclaw let the orange tom's wrath fall on him, aware that most of his anger came from the loss his dear nephew. Things had not always been easy between them, nonetheless Firestar had loved and cared a lot about Cloudtail. The grief he must have felt had to be as unbearable as Brightheart's and Whitepaw's, the dead warrior's mate and daughter. The two she-cats were grooming the pelt of their loved one so he would look his best when he would join their ancestors among the stars. Before them, Cinderpelt had examined attentively the body and Brambleclaw did not need her medical expertise to know that Cloudtail had been viciously mutilated. A huge patch of skin was missing on his left flank, like it was sliced and ripped away. It was disgusting. What kind of sick monster would do that? His father had been a tyrannic villain, but would he chop some cat simply for pleasure? Or was it truly for terrorizing purpose?  
>When Firestar lost interest in reprimanding him, Brambleclaw went to Dustpelt. He hesitated for a moment, not tempted by the idea to be lectured by a second senior warrior, but questioned him anyway. "Do you… I mean, was it really him?"<p>

Dustpelt's mood was just a little bit less intense than his former mentor, upset by his lover's sadness, since Cloudtail had been her adopted sibling and because Tigerstar, before his rebellion, was a kind of hero to him.  
>"Seems like it. How should I know." he grunted, visibly annoyed. "You're his son."<p>

"But… you knew him better!" pointed out Brambleclaw and regretted his words as soon as they were out of his mouth, for they granted him a murderous glare from Dustpelt, so he started over with more care: "I mean, you used to spend time with him, you know, as warriors..."

Dustpelt shrugged, irritated. "It doesn't matter, Brambleclaw. Whether it's Tigerstar or not: Cloudtail is dead."  
>Brambleclaw thought he understood what the dusty tabby meant. It was not important who the killer was, the point was that he needed to be stopped before there was another victim.<p>

With fire still burning in his wounded glare, Firestar climbed on top the High Rock, still looking hard and grim. He yowled attention for all the cats of ThunderClan, the funeral for their fellow warrior will begin. As he repeated the words that had been said by every leader before him for every warrior who had ever died, other cats' wails could be heard, along with silent wary gossips among the assembly.

"Do you think he died in the river?" whispered a queen to a senior warrior.  
>"Don't be ridiculous. If Scourge did not managed to kill him, I doubt a bit of water would." he meowed back with a rigid low tone.<p>

"He'll be back, right? He'll kill us all!" yelped another, not too loud.

"What is Firestar going to do!"

Brambleclaw wanted to tell them to be quiet, however he couldn't help wondering, too, what Firestar's next move would be. Then, the ThunderClan leader voiced the last of the ceremony:

"... And now, Cloudtail hunts with StarClan."

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>

Chapter 8, next Thursday.

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